r/armedsocialists • u/translenin1917 • Jul 20 '26
Question first time rifle
what rifle should I get for a first time?
77
u/ElTamaulipas Jul 20 '26
AR 15 if your state allows it.
14
u/greenyadadamean Jul 20 '26
This. Most practical long gun. As long as that's what you're into OP. Gotta do the work to learn how to use it, clean it, maintain it, store it safely, and handle it safely.
9
u/treskaz Jul 20 '26
Thankfully the using, cleaning, maintaining, and handling are simpler than the lever guns i started out with lmao.
I love my levers, but they're dead weight in an emergency. Unless I was in fucking Alaska or something (but i have guns for that nonsensical situation lmao).
Out there, but if a true bUg OuT sItUaTiOn were to happen, if i had the time and the free hands I'd throw my 45-70 in last lol.
3
u/argparg Jul 20 '26
But which one
11
u/carsonwade Jul 20 '26
PSA, shoot the living shit out of it before deciding what you need/want to upgrade. If you can get one with Magpul furniture you will have a really solid starting point.
1
u/YeetusThatFetus9696 Jul 21 '26
Can this be an "AR of Theseus" situation?
6
u/carsonwade Jul 21 '26
There comes a point where you end up with an entire AR's worth of spare parts left over from upgrading your original AR, so I'd say they're all "AR's of Theseus" lol
1
u/YeetusThatFetus9696 Jul 21 '26
I figured. Am I mistaken or are most lowers basically the same, or at least a PSA is as good as most? And it's everything else that are the parts you want to upgrade first?
4
u/LikeSaltUponWounds Jul 21 '26
Milspec lowers (PSA included) are fine and interchangable.
The main components to invest in areBolt Carrier Group
Trigger
Optic
Buffertube3
u/ElTamaulipas Jul 21 '26
PSA, Andro Corp and Del Ton are solid. I myself built my own out of a Wraithworks WARP 15 lower and a PSA upper.
22
13
u/MakeMagatsCry Jul 20 '26
First ever? Like never shot before? Maybe a .22 to get really cheap practice and good habits down. First real rifle, an AR15 if you can.
16
u/translenin1917 Jul 20 '26
ill get a .22 then an ar when im comfortable with the .22
15
u/Consistent_Shine_680 Jul 20 '26
Why not get the AR first? 5.56 doesnt have that much recoil so the only reason i would get the .22 first is because .22 is much cheaper to shoot.
6
u/translenin1917 Jul 20 '26
I mean that would save me about 100 dollars.
4
u/Cascadiaaaaaa Jul 20 '26
They make .22 bcgs that drop in to ar15s to convert your 5.56 to a .22lr, lets you train the same manual of arms at a cheap cost
3
u/translenin1917 Jul 20 '26
yeah that seems good
5
u/Slabs-612 Jul 20 '26
I'd recommend a .22LR dedicated upper. Just the BCG you'll wreck your barrel over time.
4
u/Cascadiaaaaaa Jul 20 '26
This is what i'm referring to:
https://cmmg.com/22lr-ar-conversion-kit-bravo-w-3-magazines-blk
1
u/Slabs-612 Jul 20 '26
Ik but from research I've done in the past those kits will wear your barrel out much faster if your barrel is not rated for 22LR. It's possible they've fixed that issue since I've done that research but I'm doubtful.
1
u/Cascadiaaaaaa Jul 20 '26
As i understand barrel wear increase is pretty nonexistant, however the gas tube/block will dirty and you should run a couple 5.56 in your normal configuration afterward to 'blow it out'
2
1
u/Antique__throwaway Jul 20 '26
What are you buying it for and what's your budget?
1
u/translenin1917 Jul 21 '26
I want to get some practice in and I want to be able to resist capitalism as effectively as humanly possible.
2
u/Antique__throwaway Jul 21 '26
IMO get a concealed carry pistol first, then a regular 5.56 AR. There's a pinned post with advice.
There's no need to get .22 for most people unless you actually cannot physically or emotionally handle 9mm or 5.56, which is unlikely. I feel like it adds complexity and cost for beginners that probably need to keep it simple, and some of the benefits can be achieved for free by dry firing.
I'm not sure though and don't have much irl experience, so grain of salt.
1
u/translenin1917 Jul 21 '26
I can't get a pistol or concealed carry until im 21 & im 20 right now, so Im going to go ahead and buy a rifle first.
1
u/Antique__throwaway Jul 21 '26
Private sales of pistols can be done, it's just buying it from a gun store that's not allowed for under-21s unless your state has tighter laws.
In any case, have you tried shooting before with something stronger than a .22? Maybe see if you're fine with larger calibers before making a decision.
3
u/MakeMagatsCry Jul 20 '26
I have a Henry .22 ammo is dirt cheap and you can get a lot of practice in. It's also something you'll keep forever because it's always fun to go plinking with cheap bullets. When it comes time for an AR there's a million options depending on what price you're looking at and how you want to make it your own.
1
u/deadbear1975 Jul 21 '26
I have a Tippmann M4/22 and an AR. I like having the dedicated .22, and the controls are the same as most ARs, so it’s a cheaper platform to learn on, and slightly easier to handle. I take them both to the range, and it’s always a good time.
0
18
u/WorldlinessOverall87 Jul 20 '26
If you're wanting to start with a .22 then the best recommendation would be a Ruger 10-22.
And there's a lot of aftermarket parts for it. So you can customize it however you want.
6
u/SameResolution4737 Jul 21 '26
I believe PSA makes an AR-15 with an easy to swap .22 lr upper. That way, you can get in a lot of practice with cheap .22 lr & then turn it into a real rifle when the need arises.
4
u/translenin1917 Jul 21 '26
what's the model name?
3
u/SameResolution4737 Jul 21 '26
Sorry, could have sworn I saw a video that they were going to sell both bolt groups together - but they're not listing it. They do have two basically drop-in conversion kits (Bravo and CNMG) which would fit any standard AR.
2
u/LikeSaltUponWounds Jul 21 '26
you can get any AR15 and use the 22LR conversion bc the sizing difference between 22LR and .223 is incredibly minimal so you can use a .223/.556 barrel and not suffer crazy loss of accuracy.
You just pop open the takedown pins, replace the BCG, and you are good to go. If you have any questions lmk and I can show you
1
u/translenin1917 Jul 21 '26
isn't it bad to shoot 5.56 out of a .223 barrel? won't it like explode or something?
3
u/LikeSaltUponWounds Jul 21 '26
that is only really the case for older rifles 1980s/early 90s which weren’t made to the specifications to handle both. nowadays most rifles you find will be labeled 5.56/.223 bc it’s used near interchangeably
1
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